22gz

The NYPD Escalates Its War On Drill Music, Forcing Rolling Loud To Cancel Three Rappers’ Sets

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The New York Police Department and New York’s Mayor Eric Adams have been at war with the city’s bubbling underground drill rap scene for a while now. Today, the authorities appear to have escalated the conflict, requesting the Rolling Loud festival to remove three rappers from its lineup just days ahead of the event this weekend, according to the New York Times‘ longtime music reporter Joe Coscarelli. The three rappers — 22Gz, Ron Suno, and Sha Ek — have been booked to perform for months.

The Times report compares the last-minute move against the rappers to a similar request issued by the NYPD ahead of the 2019 concert, which removed 22Gz and Pop Smoke from the lineup (22Gz was allowed to perform in 2021; Pop Smoke, unfortunately, was killed in a home invasion in Los Angeles in 2020). According to the request letter sent that year, the performers in question were “affiliated with recent acts of violence citywide. The New York City Police Department believes if these individuals are allowed to perform, there will be a higher risk of violence.”

The report quotes Sha Ek’s manager Noodles, who said, “The police try to associate what he’s doing with violence and negativity. They don’t respect that he’s an artist and entertainer trying to better himself and feed his family at 19 years old. Sha Ek has performed all over the Northeast this year. The crowds at his concerts are full of kids dancing and having fun. He’s excited to keep growing his touring business and proving the police wrong.”

Likewise, Ron Suno’s manager Bo also reacted to the news. “How can a person who has no criminal record and no gang ties — the kid never even made a diss record — be denied to perform in his hometown after all his hard work?” he wondered. A representative for 22Gz confirmed his cancelation but declined to comment further; 22Gz was recently charged with attempted murder in a nightclub shooting in June.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

22Gz Was Arrested For Attempted Murder Ahead Of His Hot 97 Summer Jam Performance

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New York drill rap — and the larger, global scene of which it is just a small part — has come under fire since its inception for the violent lifestyles allegedly promoted and propagated by its practitioners. And while many drill rappers have pushed back against this characterization, there’s no denying that their raps and their realities do reflect each other. In the latest case, Brooklyn rapper 22Gz (pronounced “Two-two jeez” — real name Jeffrey Mark Alexander) was arrested Sunday and charged with attempted murder for a March shooting in which three people were injured, according to Billboard. The 24-year-old was reportedly arrested at JFK Airport after a flight from Atlanta to perform at Hot 97 Summer Jam.

According to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, “This shooting not only wounded the victim but endangered the lives of everyone in a crowded club. Senseless gang rivalries fuel much of the gun violence in our communities and I remain committed to vigorously prosecuting anyone who engages in this criminal conduct.” The shooting in question took place on March 6 during a party in Brooklyn. One of the victims identified 22Gz as the shooter. According to the NYC Department of Corrections, his bail was set at $500,000, but it’s unconfirmed whether or not he bailed out of Rikers Island. His court hearing on charges of second-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and first-degree reckless endangerment, in addition to the primary attempted murder in the second-degree charge, is set for July 19.

BK Drill Rapper 22Gz Arrested at JFK Airport, Charged with Attempted Murder

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Brooklyn rapper 22Gz was arrested when he arrived at JFK airport. According to TMZ, he was charged with attempted murder.

22Gz was returning to New York from Atlanta, where he had been since the shooting took place. He was reportedly planning to head to MetLife for a performance at Hot 97’s Summer Jam before he was nabbed at the airport. 22Gz was set to be part of DJ Drewski’s set.

TMZ states the charge is connected to a shooting in a Brooklyn party hall on March 6 where three people were wounded. 22Gz was identified as the shooter and police received a vivid description of the rapper.

This shooting not only wounded the victim, but endangered the lives of everyone in a crowded club,” said Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez. “Senseless gang rivalries fuel much of the gun violence in our communities and I remain committed to vigorously prosecuting anyone who engages in this criminal conduct.”

22Gz is also facing a second-degree assault and weapons charges, along with a first-degree reckless endangerment charge.

The post BK Drill Rapper 22Gz Arrested at JFK Airport, Charged with Attempted Murder appeared first on The Source.

22Gz Goes ‘Behind The Video’ For His Home-Grown ‘Suburban Pt. 2’ Visual

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The latest installment of Uproxx’s Behind The Video series is focused on Brooklyn drill pioneer 22Gz and his visual for “Suburban Pt. 2.” The song, a highlight from the 2020 album Growth & Development, is his biggest one yet, as it earned the rapper his first RIAA Gold certification just a few days ago. A video is a major component of any successful single and now 22Gz shows us what went into creating the attention-grabbing clip (which has over 29 million YouTube views).

22Gz says he shot the video “all in one day” on “my block” in Flatbush. He also noted that the clip’s gas station setting is actually an uncommon one given the context, saying, “In New York, we don’t really got gas stations in the middle of the hood like that. Luckily, we do, so I’m like, ‘Alright, f*ck it, we over there.’”

A black Chevy Suburban is also a focal point of the video (a logical decision given the name of the song) and 22Gz explained why that’s the case: “That’s the way it all started. I can hold more than a regular four-seater would, so we could ride eight-deep in the car and be acting like it’s a whole party in there.”

Elsewhere in the video, the rapper gets deeper into the clip and also responds to fan comments about it, so check out 22Gz’s episode of Behind The Video above.

22Gz is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.